Colombian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Colombia · Americas
Colombia sits at the gateway between Central and South America, with coasts on both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Under Spanish rule, Cartagena de Indias became one of the main ports of the Caribbean, including for the transatlantic slave trade, and the country's population formed from Indigenous, European and African roots in proportions that vary strongly from region to region. This page uses a Colombian Mestizo average. In our model, Anatolian Neolithic farmers (35.3%), steppe herders (17.9%) and Western hunter-gatherers (6.2%) together make the European, mostly Spanish, side the largest part, ahead of Native American ancestry (31.4%), with West African (5.8%) and North African hunter-gatherer (3.5%) shares. That is a clearly more European-weighted mix than in the Ecuadorian (46.3% Native American) or Guatemalan averages. The closest modern average is Costa Rican Mestizo (0.0183), followed by Nicaraguan and Honduran Mestizo samples and Hispanos of New Mexico. The model fits closely (0.0192), while no ancient group matches this recent blend.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 35.3%, Native American (Paleo-American) 31.4%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 17.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Costa Rican (Mestizo), distance 0.0183
- Model fit: 0.0192, a close fit (global model)
Where does Colombian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Colombian individuals sampled in Colombia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Colombian_Mestizo" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Colombian average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Colombian average, 35.3%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Native American (Paleo-American) (31.4%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (17.9%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Native American (Paleo-American) share (31.4%) reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Smaller traces of North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.019), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline
Closest modern populations to Colombian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Colombian average is Costa Rican (Mestizo), at a distance of 0.018 (very close). Next come Nicaraguan Mestizo at 0.035 and Honduran Mestizo at 0.041. By the tenth closest (Mexican) the distance grows to 0.097, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Costa Rican (Mestizo) | 0.0183 | Very close |
| 2 | Nicaraguan Mestizo | 0.0348 | Close |
| 3 | Honduran Mestizo | 0.0410 | Close |
| 4 | Hispano (New Mexico, Neomexicano) | 0.0416 | Close |
| 5 | Hispano (Texas, Tejano) | 0.0516 | Moderate |
| 6 | Panamanian Mestizo | 0.0679 | Moderate |
| 7 | Salvadoran | 0.0722 | Moderate |
| 8 | Guatemalan | 0.0766 | Moderate |
| 9 | Chilean Euro-Mestizo | 0.0958 | Distant |
| 10 | Mexican | 0.0971 | Distant |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Colombian
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Colombian, Mexico Early Modern Campeche (Iberian Profile) (Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD) comes first, at 0.223, with USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Northwest Euro Profile) next. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico Early Modern Campeche (Iberian Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2234 |
| 2 | USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2282 |
| 3 | USA Maryland Early Modern St. Mary's City English | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2295 |
| 4 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2302 |
| 5 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2303 |
| 6 | USA Pennsylvania Early Modern Shohola Creek (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2314 |
| 7 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Late Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2352 |
| 8 | USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP | c. 7050 BC | 0.3044 |
| 9 | USA Alaska Ancient Beringian | Ancient Beringian, c. 9500 BC | 0.3302 |
| 10 | Canada BigBar 5700BP | c. 3750 BC | 0.3770 |
Ancient DNA from Colombia
Our ancient DNA database holds 56 individuals excavated in present-day Colombia, dated from about 4,950 BC to 1431 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are Q1b (11), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are A2 (21), B2 (14) and C1 (5). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Colombian population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Colombia
Ancient DNA studies on Colombia
- Subsistence transition preceded population turnover in the eastern Colombian Andes (2026)
- A 6000-year-long genomic transect from the Bogotá Altiplano reveals multiple genetic shifts in the demographic history of Colombia (2025)
- Ancestry, admixture and fitness in Colombian genomes (2015)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 56 from Colombia.
Compare yourself with Colombian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Colombian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Colombian and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Colombian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Colombian. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Colombian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Raíces – Latin American Bloodline (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built only for Latinos: pick your country and we model your DNA against its indigenous peoples plus every Old-World source of Latin American history, on an interactive map.
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Colombian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Colombian average is about 35.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 31.4% Native American (Paleo-American) and 17.9% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Colombian?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Colombian average are Costa Rican (Mestizo), Nicaraguan Mestizo and Honduran Mestizo. The closest ancient matches are Mexico Early Modern Campeche (Iberian Profile), USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Northwest Euro Profile) and USA Maryland Early Modern St. Mary's City English.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Colombian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Colombian average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Colombian ancestry?
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Colombian average closely. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.